2010 Zymurgy Best Beers In America Poll

The results are in! Each of the past eight years, we’ve asked Zymurgy readers to send us a list of their 20 favorite beers. The only rule is that the beer has to be commercially available somewhere in the United States. A record number of votes were cast this year, with 1,192 different beers from 450 breweries represented in the poll.

Top-Ranked Beers

And this year’s winner is…the same as last year! Russian River’s Pliny the Elder claimed the top spot for the second straight year, beating Bell’s Two Hearted Ale by a mere two votes.

1. Russian River Pliny the Elder

2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

3. Stone Arrogant Bastard

4. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

5. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

6. Stone IPA

T7. Bear Republic Racer 5

T7. Guinness

T7. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

T7. Sierra Nevada Celebration

11. Stone Ruination

T12. North Coast Old Rasputin

T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo

T12. Rahr Winter Warmer

T12. Rahr Ugly Pug

T12. Rahr Iron Thistle

T17. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

T17. New Glarus Belgian Red

T17. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

T17. Duvel

T21. Lagunitas IPA

T21. Samuel Adams Boston Lager

T21. Rahr Storm Cloud

T21. Saison Dupont

T25. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

T25. Rahr Bucking Bock

T25. Ommegang Three Philosophers

T28. New Belgium Fat Tire

T28. Alaskan Smoked Porter

T28. Anchor Steam

T31. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

T31. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

T31. Rahr Summer

T31. Rahr Red

T31. Rahr Blind Salamander

T31. Rahr Blonde

T31. Rahr Octoberfest

T31. Victory Prima Pils

T31. New Belgium La Folie

T31. Russian River Consecration

T41. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

T41. Rahr Buffalo Butt

T41. New Belgium 1554

T41. Orval

T41. Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

T41. Rogue Dead Guy

T41. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

T41. Deschutes Black Butte Porter

T49. Surly Furious

T49. Dogfish Head Indian Brown

T49. Rahr Whiskey Warmer

T49. Rodenbach Grand Cru

Brewery Rankings

Brewery rankings are based on total votes received by each brewery’s beers. This year’s top brewery, by a landslide, is Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. in Fort Worth, Texas. Rahr’s loyal fans placed a whopping 12 beers in the top 50.

1. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

Fort Worth

Texas

2. Stone Brewing Co.

Escondido

Calif.

3. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton

Del.

4. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico

Calif.

5. Russian River Brewing Co.

Santa Rosa

Calif.

6. New Belgium Brewing Co.

Fort Collins

Colo.

7. Bell’s Brewery

Kalamazoo

Mich.

8. Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams)

Boston

Mass.

9. Deschutes Brewery

Bend

Ore.

10. Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

Lyons

Colo.

11. Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Petaluma

Calif.

12. Rogue Ales

Newport

Ore.

T13. Anchor Brewing Co.

San Francisco

Calif.

T13. Avery Brewing Co.

Boulder

Colo.

T15. New Glarus Brewing Co.

New Glarus

Wis.

T15. Brewery Ommegang

Cooperstown

N.Y.

17. North Coast Brewing Co.

Fort Bragg

Calif.

18. Victory Brewing Co.

Downington

Pa.

19. Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Healdsburg

Calif.

20. Odell Brewing Co.

Fort Collins

Colo.

21. Goose Island Beer Co.

Chicago

Ill.

22. Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids

Mich.

T23. Three Floyds Brewing Co.

Munster

Ind.

T23. Allagash Brewing Co.

Portland

Maine

25. Great Divide Brewing Co.

Denver

Colo.

Best Portfolio

We also tabulated which breweries had the most brands in the voting. That honor went to Boston Beer Co. with 22 of its Samuel Adams brews getting votes. Dogfish Head was close behind with 20 brands.

1. Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams) (22 beers)

2. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (20 beers)

3. Rogue Ales (19 beers)

4. New Belgium Brewing Co. (16 beers)

T5. Bell’s Brewery (15 beers)

T5 Deschutes Brewery (15 beers)

T5. New Glarus Brewing Co. (15 beers)

T5. Stone Brewing Co. (15 beers)

T9. Avery Brewing Co. (14 beers)

T9. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. (14 beers)

T11. Lagunitas Brewing Co. (13 beers)

T11. Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner) (13 beers)

T11. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (13 beers)

T14. Great Divide Brewing Co. (12 beers)

T14. Russian River Brewing Co. (12 beers)

T16. The Lost Abbey (11 beers)

T16. Anderson Valley Brewing Co. (11 beers)

T16. Victory Brewing Co. (11 beers)

T19. Allagash Brewing Co. (10 beers)

T19. Odell Brewing Co. (10 beers)

T19. Brewery Ommegang (10 beers)

Spirit of Homebrew

Once again, we raise a glass to those breweries that, though small in production, score high with beer lovers. We determine the Spirit of Homebrew Award by taking a brewery’s total number of votes and dividing it by the brewery’s annual production in number of barrels.

1. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

Fort Worth

Texas

2. Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey

San Marcos

Calif.

T3. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Dexter

Mich.

T3. Alpine Beer Co.

Alpine

Calif.

5. Russian River Brewing Co.

Santa Rosa

Calif.

Thanks to everyone who voted. Look for information about participating in the 2011 poll in future issues of Zymurgy, as well as on HomebrewersAssociation.org.